Will Forte Is the Man Behind National Lampoon in ‘A Futile and Stupid Gesture’ Trailer

For his next project, filmmaker David Wain (Wet Hot American Summer, They Came Together) is doing something he’s never tried before: Telling a story about real people and actual events. And based on the first trailer for A Futile and Stupid Gesture, you can see why. The film, which premieres next month at Sundance, explores the life of National Lampoon founder and Animal House co-writer Doug Kenney, and as such, involves a ton of the silly, juvenile humor that Wain loves.

The difference this time out is that Kenney’s life inevitably takes a dark turn, giving Wain the opportunity to tackle material that’s a little heavier than his fans are used to. Based on the book by Josh Karp, A Futile and Stupid Gesture follows Kenney — played by Will Forte, who is obviously not 27 years old — and his pals as they start National Lampoon magazine, and tracks the founder’s life and career through Animal House and SNL.